


The Age of Our Hope

by drspacey, QueenCosette



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim, Alternate Universe - Steampunk with Magic, Canon-Typical Body Count, Dragon Age II Spoilers, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-16
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-09 02:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1966416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drspacey/pseuds/drspacey, https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenCosette/pseuds/QueenCosette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the demons entered Thedas, it was from deep underground. A portal between dimensions. In a few short years they overran the dwarven kingdoms and broke through to the surface. The First Blight.</p><p>Warriors and mages from throughout the Imperium came together, pooling resources and throwing aside old rivalries for the sake of survival. To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own. The Grey Warden order was born.</p><p>Inspired by the dwarven golems we built giant lyrium-powered suits of armour: Jaegers. They fought the demons in single combat, while our armies battled the darkspawn hordes that followed in their wake. There were setbacks at first. The Fade connection to interface with the Jaeger proved too much for a single mage. A two pilot system was implemented. Left hemisphere: melee. Right hemisphere: mage. </p><p>We started winning. Eventually the archdemon was slain and the portal closed. Countless lives had been lost. We mourned our dead, memorialised the war, and moved on. Then, two hundred years later, the Second Blight hit Hossberg. And then the Third hit Vyrantium. We learned that it was not going to stop. </p><p>This was just the beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Age of Our Hope

Lothering burns that night. Bethany can smell it, even inside the control helm.

She has always loved fire; the warm glow caressing the end of her staff, or forming in her hands, soft as a lover's kiss. But now her home burns and neither she nor her sister can do anything but stand watch.

Ostagar has fallen. The other nations might eventually defeat this Blight, but for Ferelden, she is sure, this is the beginning of the end.

Their last orders were to ignore the town and help cover Teryn Loghain’s retreat. But even as they’d heard the command, the two sisters had merely shared a look and disabled the signal rune. Their father had always told them that a ranger’s duty was to the people first.

Lothering might burn, but Lady Lothering stays to protect her own.

So they stand guard over the south road, watching the horde in the distance while survivors stream past their feet and flee north.

“Can you smell that, sister? It reminds me of that barn you set on fire when we were children.” Bethany tries to keep her tone light.

“That was an accident,” Marian grimaces. “And we were the ones running away that night, before someone could tell the Chantry.”

Perhaps it wasn't the best memory to have brought up.

"They're going to be okay, " she says softly. "Carver went to find Mother. He'll look after her."

"Well, at least they’ll be safer without us," her sister agrees.

This fact, previously unspoken, hangs heavy in the air between them. They have decided to abandon their post, to give their family and the other refugees time to escape. Like those they had left behind at Ostagar, there is no prospect of winning. No plans for living beyond this fight.

This story has no happy ending.

For once, Marian is not making jokes and Bethany feels oddly compelled to compensate. "Well Carver did always like the Templar uniform, they might end up recruiting him."

“That’s not funny.”

“I'm not laughing.”

Except she feels like she should, before she breaks down and weeps. Anything to hold the images of all the blood and screaming at bay. Instead her eyes remain fixed on the distant flames of the darkspawn horde, and the shadow of the demon approaching.

"Do you think any of the Grey Wardens survived?" Marian asks.

Bethany shrugs. "I don't know. We saw the King's Griffon fall, but perhaps some of the Wardens made it out?"

"I doubt it. We weren't exactly in the thick of it, and Mabari can move faster than Chevaliers, and most demons."

"This one looks like it can move pretty fast too." She nods at the demon ahead, which seems to be charging directly at them. Good.

"We can do this." Marian says, becoming focused and more herself again. "Keep it distracted and on fire, I'll stab it in the soft fleshy parts."

The fight has come to them at last. Lady Lothering’s mechanical muscles tense, magical flames bursting out across her blade as Marian and Bethany run forward together.

Ignoring the mass of tiny figures, they go straight for the real threat: the demon. Only one jaeger in recorded memory has ever been swarmed by darkspawn, an Antivan Crow that had already been crippled and grounded while failing to kill a demon. Possibly a kinder fate than the one the other Crows would have had in store for them, considering their reputation.

The demon looks like a nightmarish parody of a dog and halla combined. It runs surprisingly low to the ground, on all fours, but with horns sprouting from its head and spines along its back and limbs. It roars, a deep echoing bellow that vibrates through their armour even as they rush to meet it.

Suddenly, the demon leaps forward, straight for the throat, forcing them to pivot to the side and narrowly avoid being knocked to the ground as it almost flies past. Not even Mabari have this kind of speed. Bethany aims her hand almost by pure reflex, channeling fire straight into its snarling face as it turns back to them. Marian takes the opportunity to follow with the sword, but the blade glances off its horns.

Amidst the flames, claws rake out across the jaeger's chestplate and they reel back, darkspawn crushed beneath them as they step back. Mustn't lose balance, Bethany thinks, or that will be the end of it.

The demon charges beneath the flames, horns lowered, and catches them just above the legs. She is able to grab one of the horns, preventing a fall but locking the opponents together as they wrestle, legs digging into the ground. Marian tries to use the sword, but the spines on its back are like armour, turning the blade away from doing any real damage. Meanwhile the horns keep digging painfully into their chest, sending damage signals across the interface. Any moment now they might not be able to stand.

"We need to get it off its feet. I have a plan." Marian says. Of course she does. "Be ready."

Marion's arm swings across again. This time the lyrium pulse flares at the elbow, and while the blade glances harmlessly past, her fist crashes into the demon's face with explosive force, just as Bethany lets go. The horns are ripped free, leaving two gaping rents in the abdominal plate. The demon staggers a little, giving them the moment they need. The blade swipes out, lower this time, and barely misses one leg as it rears up to avoid her.

"There!" Marian shouts.

Bethany reaches and grabs the bared throat, digging the clawed fingertips into its mottled flesh before it can pull away. The demon screams in rage and pain, clawing at her arm and chest as she sends wave after wave of searing flame. Their knees bend but hold firm as the full weight of the creature is brought to bear on them. Several times Marian's sword manages to slash at its smooth underside, leaving ugly rents of gushing blue.

More rents in their armour, but gradually its movements slow. Unable to escape or use its charging ability, the demon seems to falter under the combination of fire and blade. Bethany looks at Marian in stunned relief; the last thing she sees is her sister's fierce grin.

Then the demon drives its claws into her arm, ripping apart the seams between the armour plates. Her world is filled with a singular, unbearable pain as it shreds through the muscle fibres and lyrium strands. Marian is shouting something but she cannot hear it over her own terrible screams. Then, with one final wrenching movement, her arm is torn away completely and everything is darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collection of one-shots and multi-chapter stories for our favourite fantasy video game world, but where people use giant magic machines to fight equally giant demon monsters. Not the crossover we needed, or even deserved, but definitely one we couldn't resist ~ drspacey & QueenCosette
> 
> Disclaimer: If we owned Dragon Age and/or Pacific Rim we would probably be making a game or movie instead, or at least throwing all our royalty money at it.


End file.
